Stage 16 Luanco - Lagos de Covadonga (181.3km)
The sixteenth stage of the Vuelta a España takes the peloton to the mythical Lagos de Covadonga. This grueling climb is featured for the 23rd time in Vuelta history, making it one of the most famous climbs of the race.
The start of the stage is in the Asturian coastal town of Luanco, and it then takes the riders along the hilly northern Spanish coast past Gijón to the stunning mountain range of the Picos de Europa. Before the hors catégorie final climb, there are two first-category climbs planned.
The first is the Mirador del Fito (7 km at 8.1%) after seventy kilometers, and the second is the Collada Llomenia (7.6 km at 9.3%). These are two tough climbs that will build significant fatigue during the stage. After Llomenia, there are about forty kilometers to the base of the Lagos de Covadonga.
Lagos de Covadonga literally means the lakes of Covadonga, and it is these lakes that make the climb so attractive. Over 12.5 kilometers, riders climb to the glacier lakes of Lago de Enol and Lago de Ercina, beautifully situated between rugged rock formations, a common sight in the Vuelta.
The Lagos de Covadonga (12.5 km at 6.9%) may seem manageable in terms of gradient percentages, but it is a beast of a climb. In the first seven kilometers, the gradient is always at least ten percent. The final section of this part of the climb even rises at more than fifteen percent. The last kilometers of the climb are somewhat gentler, and the finish is even after a few hundred meters of descent.
The climb to Lagos de Covadonga was last featured in the Vuelta in 2021. Primoz Roglic won after a long breakaway, ahead of Egan Bernal. Other winners on this climb include Nairo Quintana (2016) and Thibaut Pinot (2018).
| Date | Tuesday 03 September |
| Start |  Luanco |
| Finish | Lagos de Covadonga |
| Distance | 181.3 km |
| Start time | 12:50 |
| Expected finish | 17:18 |
Stage 16 Luanco - Lagos de Covadonga (181.3km)
The sixteenth stage of the Vuelta a España takes the peloton to the mythical Lagos de Covadonga. This grueling climb is featured for the 23rd time in Vuelta history, making it one of the most famous climbs of the race.
The start of the stage is in the Asturian coastal town of Luanco, and it then takes the riders along the hilly northern Spanish coast past Gijón to the stunning mountain range of the Picos de Europa. Before the hors catégorie final climb, there are two first-category climbs planned.
The first is the Mirador del Fito (7 km at 8.1%) after seventy kilometers, and the second is the Collada Llomenia (7.6 km at 9.3%). These are two tough climbs that will build significant fatigue during the stage. After Llomenia, there are about forty kilometers to the base of the Lagos de Covadonga.
Lagos de Covadonga literally means the lakes of Covadonga, and it is these lakes that make the climb so attractive. Over 12.5 kilometers, riders climb to the glacier lakes of Lago de Enol and Lago de Ercina, beautifully situated between rugged rock formations, a common sight in the Vuelta.
The Lagos de Covadonga (12.5 km at 6.9%) may seem manageable in terms of gradient percentages, but it is a beast of a climb. In the first seven kilometers, the gradient is always at least ten percent. The final section of this part of the climb even rises at more than fifteen percent. The last kilometers of the climb are somewhat gentler, and the finish is even after a few hundred meters of descent.
The climb to Lagos de Covadonga was last featured in the Vuelta in 2021. Primoz Roglic won after a long breakaway, ahead of Egan Bernal. Other winners on this climb include Nairo Quintana (2016) and Thibaut Pinot (2018).